We’d like to welcome back the mainstream media from their two-week vacation with a special edition of the Capitol Hill food+drink notes. But all we have is this post. Got a tip? Email your friendly neighborhood reporter guy.

We reviewed the year that was in food and drink on Capitol Hill last week and a few other sites talked about their 2011 favorites — btw, where did Seattle foodies eat before Skillet? Starved, they must have. But we’re left wondering which of the rookies will matter the most at this time next year and beyond. So, how about one more 2011 poll if you can stand it! Which new 2011 Capitol Hill restaurants and bars were most important in defining what comes next in the neighborhood? We’ve presented the roster below — you’ll note we slipped in a few of the late-openers from the 2010 crowd. Voting closes Saturday night at midnight.

Speaking of late openers, 2011 saw some late debuts as Little Uncle (here), Manhattan Drugs (here) and Lucky 8’s China House (here) all debuted.

Oh, and back to Skillet. We received 10,000 or so notes about the cryptic sign hung New Year’s Eve at the diner. Josh Henderson said it had been the plan all along to close down early on NYE but be open for breakfast come early New Year’s Day. Those plans were dashed thanks to a broken water heater or somesuch that the mystery “sorry, we’re closed” sign didn’t mention. Anyway, Skillet = just fine. But, yeah, they were unexpectedly closed New Year’s Day.

Meza appears to put the last of its problems with the law behind it following troubles this summer stemming from a short-lived change of hands for the restaurant. The restaurants management said its recent liquor license issue was temporary and is the end of penalties associated with the earlier legal problems.

I’m just teasing (kinda) but the 10 minutes per serving just might be the downfall. I was in there today to get a simple Diet Coke and had to wait several minutes behind three clowns mixing stupid flavors.

Drank from one of these on a recent trip to Orange County. I had some residual “lime” syrup from the previous user mess up my Diet Coke. Why would I squirt it chemically when there’s usually some lemon wedges handy?